


All Falls Down

by QuietDarkness



Series: Simplicity and Complexity (Harrisco) [66]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25152607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietDarkness/pseuds/QuietDarkness
Summary: Time has passed with no further contact with the Hive. Too much time, as far as Harry and Cisco are concerned. They've run out of clues, run out of options. But the Hive and its Queen are far from finished with them. Caitlin and Hope have a surprising connection that has been growing for some time, despite each of their attempts to deny it.Meanwhile, there may be more to the Hive and the Queen than everyone first thought. Lurking in the shadows is an enemy none of them would have counted on being part of all the mayhem. Someone is pulling all the strings, the Hive leads Maggie to a dark place, and Harry and Cisco may not survive to save her.'Opposites don't just attract. They catch fire and burn the entire city down.'(Part 63)
Relationships: Cisco Ramon/Earth-2 Harrison "Harry" Wells
Series: Simplicity and Complexity (Harrisco) [66]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/695946
Kudos: 5





	All Falls Down

**Author's Note:**

> (I'm back! I hope everyone has been surviving the pandemic. I can't even begin to explain how crazy it's been on my end. I'm going to try to write more, now that I have a little time. Leave a comment and let me know how you all are doing! All my love! - QD)

It was the first time since all this began that she was well and truly alone. 

Not even one of them roamed the bubble, no one to watch her, keep her company that she didn’t want. And it was both wonderful and frightening. Because… _why?_ Why now all of a sudden? Honestly, it didn’t fricking matter. If ever there were a chance to get the hell outta Dodge, it was right now. The Others, which was what she was choosing to call them, probably thought she wasn’t much of a threat anymore. Lucky her.

So Maggie walked along the wall of the bubble, touching, testing, sparking her energy into it as she went. Maybe there were weaknesses, maybe there was something she hadn’t felt before, maybe there was a door she couldn’t see. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe was better than losing hope entirely. By this point, she had no idea what day it was. Was it dark or light outside? There wasn’t any way to tell. How much time had actually passed since the Others took her? All things she had no answers to. Among other questions… like… was Axiom still alive? He’d collapsed before they grabbed her. And where were her Dads? They had to be searching for her. In fact, she knew they were. It was really the only thing she knew for sure. 

“You have so much faith in them.” An Other’s voice was heard from somewhere behind her. She whirled around, hands up defensively, eyes a little wide. It was the first time there had only ever been one of them. The first time she’d heard just one voice and not many in tandem. And it was… startling for some reason. She watched the Other pace easily, walking with hands in her pockets, a small smile on her face. Slowly, Maggie lowered her hands, straightening a bit. This Other was… different. There was something about her that wasn’t robotic and a ‘follower.’

“You’re… you’re not like the others.” Maggie said softly, watching the Other… Not-Other?... smile a little brighter and nod. 

“Perceptive.” She stopped, facing Maggie and studying her face. “You’re different, too, you realize that?” She asked, “Of all the doppelgängers I’ve come across, you’re the only one who has been able to resist the Conformity this long.”

“Thanks.” Maggie smirked wryly, defiant to the last. Harry and Cisco would have been proud.

“It wasn’t a compliment. More of an observation.” She responded, her smile fading lightly. “I’ve been at this a long time, Maggie. Do you know how many of us there are?” She asked, tilting her head a little. Maggie just shook her head a little, feeling like she was staring at a literal Devil, which was disconcerting considering it had _her_ face. “As many inhabited Earths as there are in the Multiverse, that’s how many of us there are.” Maggie frowned at that.

“Duh. That’s a given.” The Not-Other chuckled at that, it reminded Maggie of nails on a chalkboard and she cringed slightly. 

“You’re smart, too. Not many of us are.” She stepped a little closer. “In the Conformity, there are almost fifty. It takes time, you see, to find us… convert us. I have three Concealments like this.” She glanced around them, admiring the bubble. “Each one working toward a single goal.” She looked back at Maggie. “Bringing more into the fold.” 

“That’s not going to happen with me, asshat.” She growled out, crossing her arms, raising her chin a little. The Not-Other nodded.

“I can see why you think that. Like I said, you’re different, too. More like me than the others. You’re strong, smart, capable. Not a follower. And you’re… talented. You can do things many of them can’t.” She reached forward and put a hand on Maggie’s shoulder. She wanted to tear herself away, but stood still, planted her feet like roots. She wouldn’t give this Not-Other an inch. “I am the Omega. I can teach you to do more, Maggie. I can teach you to do things you can’t even imagine. To create places like this,” She motioned around them with her free hand, “To heal your wounds, to learn anything in moments, to breathe energy like air, to convert any element into electricity. The list goes on and on!” She exclaimed happily. Maggie searched her face, something dawning on her terribly.

“You want me to be your partner?” She asked incredulously, stepping back now, making the Not-Other’s… no, the Omega’s hand fall.

“Something like that.” She smiled, slipping her hands back into her pocket. “You’re the first I’ve ever wanted to… be my equal.”

“No. HELL no. Are you insane?” She blurted, arms dropping. “You terrorized my family, hurt Axiom, attacked my Dad! Why would I ever do that?!” She demanded angrily. Omega nodded, still smiling. It was… creepy.

“Because you’re curious. You forget, Maggie. I can read you like a book. You want to know the things I’m offering. You want to know why you haven’t needed to eat or drink or sleep. You want to know why you’re different from all the others. Why I’m different.” She explained.

“Why…” Maggie swallowed a little, “Why are you different?”

“Let’s just say… I had a helping hand in the beginning. A... silent benefactor. Someone who sees the benefit of letting me evolve into what I am now. Into what you can be.” 

“And what is that?” 

Omega smiled. It was a terrible, cold smile. Something that reminded her of someone. Someone she hoped she’d never have to see again. “The Beginning.” She said simply. Then the Omega snapped her fingers before Maggie could respond. All around them, the bubble shimmered, rumbled, began to shatter like paper thin glass. Maggie cowered down, putting her arms up to shield herself. But none of the shards ever touched her. As they rained down, they simply turned to shimmering ash. When the rumbling ended, Maggie moved her arms, straightening slowly. “Welcome home, Maggie.” Omega said simply, then turned and began walking away. Leaving Maggie standing there, staring in terrified awe of what she now saw around her. Tears began welling up in her eyes against her will. Her chest felt tight and she could feel her breath catching. 

“No….” she whispered softly, watching in complete terror as the Others roamed around her in the middle of an enormously wide-open, sun-bathed field, stepping over dozens of dead bodies, skeletons, fresh corpses with faces she knew and some she didn’t. And somehow Maggie knew… just knew that these were the Others’ dead family and friends. Littered about like trash. 

She heard a scream from behind her, turning quickly to see one of the Others filling a very familiar man with electricity. She watched him writhe and fall in a steaming burnt heap. The Other didn’t even flinch, just turned her face toward Maggie as Omega reached her side. Maggie fell to her knees, a sob escaping her chest, her hands shaking and coming up to her hair. 

As Omega smiled and said something to the Other, all Maggie could do was close her eyes and scream…  
_...scream…_  
scream…

* * *

Cisco was standing in the middle of Maggie’s empty bedroom with Axiom, the dog leaning heavily against his leg where he sat quietly.

Even though she’d moved out months ago, they still hadn’t done anything with the space. Mostly because they hadn’t been able to decide what to do with it. Maybe they should have. Because now it was a painful reminder, a hollow in their home.

He let out a deep-welled sigh, closing his eyes a moment and turning his face up to the ceiling as he pulled his hands out of his pockets. He was… exhausted. Emotionally, mentally, physically. It had been nearly three weeks since Maggie had been taken, and they were no closer to getting her back than they were before. Sure, they knew there was a Queen now. They had studied all their footage so thoroughly that they could literally pick her out of the Hive. She had a slightly sagging left shoulder, no nail on her left pinky, a tiny scar at her hairline, just near her right ear. Super tiny, subtle differences no one would have thought to single out. But they did. And unfortunately, it was all they had.

The Hive hadn’t shown itself again since attacking Harry in the stairwell. None of the apple-scented energy Axiom could trail had shown back up since Maggie was taken. And for everyone, but Cisco and Harry of course, life had taken back on its typical rhythm of daily meta-mayhem and science and do-gooding. It angered him a little. Okay, maybe more than a little. But he couldn’t really blame Caitlin and Barry and everyone else for moving forward. Sure, they still tried to come up with ideas. Still offered words of encouragement and faith. But lately, those words fell flat in their mouths. They weren’t giving up on Maggie, but they didn’t have much faith that they would find her, either. It was… heartbreaking.

Cisco opened his eyes, lowering his head and dragging his hands over his face. Then sighed heavily again before dropping his hands, scratching Axiom idly on one ear and turning to see Harry leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets. He looked as tired as Cisco felt, with soft dark circles beneath his glowing eyes and an almost permanent tightness to his lips. It reminded Cisco of how Harry used to look when Zoom had Jesse. Determined, but lost at the same time. And Harry had never liked being lost.

“Hey.” Cisco said quietly, offering a small smile. Harry blinked quietly at him, glancing at Axiom who’d turned as well, then let a breath out of his nostrils before pushing away from the door frame and sliding his hands out of his pockets, taking a few steps in toward them.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked gently, glancing around a little before letting his far too intelligent gaze fall back to his shorter husband. Cisco shrugged a little.

“Just thinking.” He replied, taking a step forward and very ungracefully faceplanting into Harry’s chest. He brought his hands up, beneath Harry’s arms, molding around his ribs. It was Harry’s turn to let out a deep sigh. Without hesitation, Harry wrapped Cisco in his long arms. And for a quiet few moments, nothing was done or said. They just breathed together. What could they say, anyway? Everything they needed to say to each other had already been spoken. Many times. They knew they weren’t giving up. They knew they were both heartbroken. They knew they both felt like failures. And they knew they still had work to do.

They did their jobs, every day. Helping at the labs. Helping the team. And in between that, they kept up their search, brainstormed new ideas, tried to think of something -anything- that could get their daughter back. But after last night… ugh… last night had been a not-good night.

They’d ended up in a full-on shouting match with each other, so frustrated and spent and tired that they’d inevitably let it all out on one another. Which was something they’d never really done before. Of course they bickered, that was their thing. But truly yelling angrily at each other? It had made them both freeze when they realized it, seemingly at the same time. It was the first moment they knew that maybe… maybe they needed to regroup. To learn to breathe again. And possibly let themselves grieve a little.

No, it wasn’t what they wanted. They didn’t want to grieve because grieving meant they were accepting that Maggie was never coming back. But they also knew that if they kept going the way they were, they’d lose themselves. And that wouldn’t help Maggie at all.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Harry’s voice entered his thoughts then. It was practically a whisper, so full of sorrow. He lifted his head in confusion, catching Harry’s gentle stare. The taller man’s hand came up and slipped Cisco’s hair away from his face softly. “For last night.” He affirmed. “For… everything.” Cisco shook his head a little.

“You don’t need to apologize, Harry.” His voice was just as quiet. “Neither one of us meant for that to happen. For any of this to happen.” He searched Harry’s sorrow-laden gaze and let out a shaken breath. “I think we’re both just burnt out, honey.” He offered, reaching his own hand up and stroking a thumb across Harry’s cheek. “We need to take a few days. To rest. To recharge and regroup.” Harry looked about to protest but clenched his jaw a little, lowering his gaze, almost in defeat.

“You’re right. I know you’re right.” He sighed out, but shook his head, meeting Cisco’s chocolate eyes again. “But I feel like if we do…” he didn’t finish the sentence. Cisco curled his hand behind Harry’s neck.

“You feel like we’re giving up.” Cisco gave a sad smile, shaking his head. “We’re not, Harry. I thought that, too. But we’re really not. We just… we need to take time to get our heads right. We’ve been going straight out for so long, we’re practically robots right now. And that’s not doing us or anyone any good.” Softly, Harry smiled. A tug of lips that was accidentally alluring. It made Cisco smile back at him in confusion. “What?”

“Sometimes I forget how intelligent you are, simply because you’re a pain in the ass most of the time.” Harry smirked then, the effect instantly handsome and downright sexy. Cisco often wondered sometimes if Harry had any idea how damn hot he was. He chuckled, nudging Harry and dropping his hands to his biceps. 

“You like it when I’m a pain in your ass.” He quipped back easily, somehow forgetting just for a moment that they were both actually pretty damn depressed. Harry was good at pulling him out of a funk, if even momentarily. He always had been. “Why don’t we take the day. Just… one day.” He squeezed Harry’s arms lightly, “Do nothing. Just relax.” Cisco hated suggesting it, honestly. But they needed it. They really did. 

“How about you take forever?” A familiar voice had them both startling and pulling apart, stepping back side by side as Axiom stood, hackles raised, growling menacingly as he put himself in front of the two men. Harry’s hands instantly went into fists. Cisco didn’t hesitate, he raised one hand and sent out a concussive blast. But it didn’t hit home, flying into the hall instead and crashing into a wall. The owner of the voice, the Queen, blinked out in an array of sparks before appearing again on the opposite side of the room, completely untouched. 

“You’re fast.” She grinned as the two men spun around and Axiom went to lunge for her, but Harry snapped his fingers hard, the sha stopping in place, chest rumbling with a deep growl. She didn’t look perturbed in the least. “Not as fast as me, though.” Cisco grit his teeth and was about to use his powers again when Harry grabbed his shoulder firmly. He froze, his jaw clenching a little tighter than was necessary. It was all happening so abruptly. One minute, he and Harry were taking a breather. And the next?

“Where’s Maggie?” Harry demanded, his rough voice angry. The Queen shrugged lightly, her hands still behind her. Cisco realized she hadn’t shown her hands once and that bothered him... 

“She’s safe and sound. No need to worry.” She sounded so sweet, like when Maggie was trying to butter them up because she wanted something. It made everything in Cisco hurt desperately.

“She’s not safe with you, you whackjob. Let her go.” He disputed instantly. Harry’s hand fell from his shoulder. 

“Ah, but you don’t know me.” She had a delicate smile on her young features, but there was something infinitely wrong about her eyes. Seeing that look of cruelty in the face of someone they loved was enough to make Cisco want to scream. “Your Maggie? She’s perfectly fine. I won’t hurt her. In fact, I need her. Far more than you do.” She began to pace around without looking at them, still keeping her hands hidden from view. “It would be in your best interest to let her go. I can see it’s killing you, looking for her like you are.” She glanced sidelong at them. “Maybe it’s about time you call it quits, hm?”

“Never.” Harry snapped beside him. Cisco could feel the anger rolling off him in waves. Axiom took a few steps backward, leaning into Cisco’s leg. “We’re going to stop you and we’re going to get her back.” The Queen sighed and rolled her eyes indignantly.

“Really?” she practically whined. “You’re just going to make this harder on everyone.” She stopped, watching them both head on. “Including our dear Maggie.”

“Don’t you have enough of… of _you_?” Cisco asked, motioning at her. “Why do you need her?”

“Oh, I need them all.” She smiled brightly, leaning forward a little, swaying back and forth on her feet. Then she laughed. “Alright, I can see I’m not going to get anywhere with you two. Though you can’t say I didn’t try, right?” She winked, and then pulled her hands out in front of her. In her left hand was a ball. Metal, glowing blue lines along its surface. Both Harry and Cisco flinched a little. “I know my powers can’t hurt you, _Harry_.” She said his name with a bite of sarcasm. “So I brought this neat little toy. It’ll hurt all three of you, birds and stones and all that. No powers needed.” And she tossed it up in the air.

Everything after that was painful and confusing.

A blinding light engulfed the room, along with an intense feeling of searing pain in literally every inch of Cisco’s body. He had a vague notion that Axiom had snarled and lunged for the Queen. And it took far too long for him to realize he was on the floor next to Harry, both of them struggling horribly to breathe, to do anything beyond feel pain. Terrible, god-awful, flesh rending pain. Axiom was… somewhere. And the Queen was nowhere in sight. But he could hear her laughing, like an echo, bouncing off walls before disappearing. “H… Harry.” Cisco croaked out, tears leaking from his eyes as he attempted to turn toward his husband. Harry looked at him, glowing eyes wet with unshed tears, his hands curled into his chest, knees bent in pain. Pain that didn’t want to end. Pain that was making Cisco feel like ripping his own flesh off just to make it stop.

Eventually it did stop. For both of them. Harry passed out before he did, his body going limp, his face pale and beaded in sweat. Cisco reached for him with a sob before he felt darkness crawl over him entirely, his hand falling short of his husband, his body going still as Maggie’s name died on his lips…

* * *

“It’s called non-image forming effects of light. I think the device acts as a sort of light-based nerve agent.” Caitlin said, turning the metal ball in her gloved hands slowly. “The light was on a frequency that made their brains respond as though their nervous systems were being attacked. It elicited their brains responses to overdrive, affecting their physiological and neurobehavioral functions. Their brains thought they were being physically overwhelmed.”

“I’m trying to understand, you’re saying light made them think they were dying?” Barry asked, taking the ball as Caitlin handed it to him. It wasn’t lit anymore, and felt like a marble paperweight. Caitlin shook her head.

“No, I’m saying it made them feel like they were being… filleted alive.” She said with a grimace. “Every nerve was made to feel raw and open, head to toe. Pain like that, I can’t even imagine.” She glanced to both Harry and Cisco, their still forms resting on gurneys in the med lab. Axiom was passed out on the end of Cisco’s gurney. He wasn’t nearly as bad off, but still was unconscious. Caitlin had found blood in his mouth, meta blood. It had come back as one of the Maggie’s, an exact match to their own Maggie, except for the marker in her blood that said she came from a different Earth. 

It was Hope who’d found the three of them several hours ago, unconscious, both Harry and Cisco barely breathing, their bodies in a severe state of shock. If they hadn’t been found when they were, they’d be dead now. “I’m confident that if Cisco wasn’t a meta, and Harry wasn’t an elemental, the shock alone would have killed them quickly. Axiom doesn’t seem to have much damage. But Cisco and Harry, they’re going to need a lot of time.” She peeled her gloves off, feeling heavy and angry and… she sighed and tossed the gloves into the trash. She hated everything about this. She was always the one to put their people back together. To fix the physical damage. And though she’d never, ever complain about being able to help like that, sometimes it was a weight she wasn’t always sure she could carry. Especially when she didn’t have all the answers.

“Where would someone even get technology like this?” Wally asked, watching as Barry set it into a padded case. Hope moved then, away from the med lab doorway and over to them. She looked as angry as Caitlin felt. She could read it all over the blond-haired woman’s face. 

“Coster.” Hope said plainly. Everyone either raised their brows or dropped their jaws. Because that was a name they hadn’t heard, let alone thought on, in a long while. She motioned to the case. “Nothing on this Earth is even close to this level of technology. There are plenty of experiments with the idea, but nothing to this extent. I... I could make it, with enough time and resources. I have the knowledge.” She didn’t sound happy about the idea. “Which means so does Coster, definitely.” She looked around at all of them. “It’s a logical conclusion.” 

Hope had come a long way with her abilities, recovering so much of her knowledge as a Watcher. She was scary smart, and more than once was able to come up with solutions that none of them had even broached on. She was outgrowing her human self at breakneck speed. She may never go back to being a form of energy again. But Hope was sure as hell powerful, in her own way. Caitlin often found herself in quiet awe of the woman.

“Hope…” Iris said gently, reaching out and touching her arm. “I know you’re upset. We all are. But we can’t just make assumptions here. We found a blood match to the Maggie’s, remember? It was probably the Hive.”

“It was the Hive.” Hope remarked, blinking at her and then sighing as confusion plastered Iris’ features. “I think Coster has been behind all of this from the start. Call it intuition if you'd like. But the Hive, the Queen, Maggie’s kidnapping? I think he’s orchestrated all of it. Another one of his games.” Caitlin shook her head a little, not in disagreement, more out of frustration.

“We won’t know for sure till they wake up and they can tell us what happened.” She said firmly. If they woke up. She wouldn’t say that part. Their brains had experienced a severe sensory overload. Their bodies had become far too overwhelmed by the shock. And though Harry could heal quite well under most circumstances, there was something about this device that made it so he wasn’t healing its affects any faster than Cisco was. Probably because of the effect on the brain. There wasn’t anything more she could really do for them, except keep them hydrated, keep them comfortable, wait for them to wake up. She really hated waiting. It made her feel anxious and useless and restless. Hope seemed to sense it because she reached over and took Caitlin’s hand.

“They will wake up, Caitlin.” She said with a gentle smile. Hope had tried to heal them when she found them. She was able to stabilize them, at least. But beyond that, even her abilities seemed useless against the bulk of what that Light Bomb had done. 

“I know there’re no cameras in the house. But maybe I can get something off the street views?” Barry offered. She could tell he felt like she did. Useless. He needed to do something more than wait. He didn’t wait for a response, just walked away and sat at one of Cisco’s monitors. Iris offered to get coffee for everyone. That left Hope and Caitlin to wander into the medlab.

Both Harry and Cisco looked terrible. They were pale, parts of their bodies badly bruised as though the extreme tension forced into their bodies had popped some capillaries and smaller vessels, and neither one of them was breathing as well as Caitlin would like. Axiom was the only one of the three who looked even remotely okay. She sighed as she ran a hand through Cisco’s hair as gently as possible.

“You love them both so much, don’t you.” Hope wasn’t asking. She stood on the opposite side of Cisco’s bed and watched Caitlin. For a long moment, she just stared back. 

It was strange how comfortable she was with Hope now. They were complete opposites, and if she was honest, she definitely found Hope intimidating sometimes. But there was a comfort to her presence now. A deeply settled thing. She was as much a part of the team and their strange little family as any of them were. It was only recently that Caitlin had begun to realize Hope might mean just a little bit more to her than that. The last year or so, she and Hope spent so much time together that Caitlin felt strange if she didn’t get to see her every day. She'd also been having some... blush worthy dreams about her. The kind she wouldn't tell anyone about. And she didn’t dare ponder what that could mean, at least not out loud. She cleared her throat, pushing away from that train of thought.

“When I first met Cisco,” Caitlin spoke softly, “He was so full of that straight-out-of-college enthusiasm, ya know?” She smiled brilliantly for a moment, then shook her head. “He was so effortlessly friendly. And smart. It was easy to be friends with him, to… think of him as family.” She looked past Hope to Harry. “And when I met Harry, I was so confused by his sudden presence that I had absolutely no idea what to think of him.” She let that smile turn into a small chuckle. “I never could have imagined either one of them would mean so much to me.” She stepped away from the gurney, pressing a button on Cisco’s monitor so that it would beep if anything changed. She could still feel Hope watching her.

“I was terrified when I first became human.” Hope announced quietly, making Caitlin pause and look her straight on. Mostly because Hope never talked about that time. Caitlin thought it was because it had been too painful and confusing for her. “Everyone here, you all made the transition so much easier than it would have been if I’d had to experience it without you. I don’t think…” she looked down at the floor. “I never really thanked any of you for that.”

“Hope,” Caitlin smiled again, moving up to the other woman, “You never have to thank us for that. You did so much for all of us. It was the least we could do.” Hope smiled at that, nodding.

“I know I wasn’t easy to deal with. My emotions were… all over the place.” She glanced from Harry to Cisco then. “I made things so difficult for these two.” Caitlin smiled a little at that. “But something I learned during it all… is that you are all so forgiving.” Hope reached up then, smoothing a hand over Caitlin’s cheek. At first, she caught her breath. Then relaxed into the cool feel of Hope’s palm. She was used to Hope being touchy-feely now. She seemed to want to just be connected with everyone, and honestly… Caitlin couldn’t fault her for that, after all, she’d spent literal lifetimes not being able to feel any sort of touch at all before becoming human. But then Hope stepped closer. “One thing I will always remember is your effortless kindness, Caitlin Snow. You were so patient with me. And so gentle. And as time has gone on, I find that I am… quite enamored with you.” Hope smiled warmly at her own words, but let her hand fall. 

Caitlin couldn’t have said what made her do it. 

She couldn’t have put into words what caused her to take one more step forward. 

Maybe it was the pain in her heart at Cisco and Harry laying comatose. Maybe it was the grief at losing Maggie. Maybe it was all the time she spent alone. Or all the time she spent trying not to think about Hope at all. But that step forward put her a breath away from Hope. And that breath away from Hope turned into Caitlin’s lips on Hope’s far too soft ones. 

The effect was instant and soft and… nice. Very, very nice.

Hope didn’t pull away. In fact, she tentatively kissed Caitlin back. It was surprising considering how eager Hope was all the time. But for once, at least in this, Hope seemed wary. Like she didn’t know what to do or didn’t know if it was even okay. But hadn’t Caitlin been the one to initiate this? 

For a moment, they pulled apart. And Caitlin smiled. Had to. She felt lighter in that moment than she had in ages. And Hope’s returned smile was both beautiful and intent before they let their lips find each other again. It wasn’t a heated kiss. It was quiet and calm and soothing, and everything Caitlin had never thought might ever happen. 

In fact, it hadn’t even been a possibility in her head until… well, now. And she didn’t regret it in the least. Not even when Barry was heard clearing his throat, causing the two women to pull apart. Caitlin felt heat in her cheeks, was sure her face was bright red, but she kept her hands where they were, right there on Hope’s hips as both women looked at his sheepishly smiling face. “I think I have something.” He said quietly, but his smile grew and he chuckled, stepping back out of view. 

Caitlin and Hope looked at each other and laughed lightly.

She wasn’t sure why, but that one kiss had made Caitlin feel far more light, far more willing to tackle whatever was coming for them, far more… Hopeful. And that’s exactly what Harry and Cisco and Maggie needed right now. That and faith. And as they sat to either side of Barry in front of the computers, Caitlin couldn’t help but think that Hope felt the same. It was apparent by the bright smile on her face that refused to fade. And the lingering feel of her lips on Caitlin’s that neither woman was bound to forget anytime soon.

* * *

Hope stood in Maggie’s empty room quietly, hands just as empty at her sides. The temperature was cool. The walls were bare. The window was open, a slight breeze wafting in silently. And she couldn’t feel a damn thing. No energy, except mechanical. Most likely residual from the Light Bomb. She let her bare feet carry her to the window after a moment, leaning forward a little to peer out. The window itself had a view of the street and the speed camera on the telephone pole across the street. The same camera which had picked up the image of a dark figure behind the Queen inside this very room. A figure, she wondered, if Cisco and Harry had seen. She sighed, running her fingertips along the windowsill, closing her eyes as she attempted to concentrate. 

But it was hard.

In some ways, she was still very naïve about humanity. She could admit that. She didn’t always know how to handle the many nuances of emotions or the impulses that came with them. Which was probably why kissing Caitlin Snow was lingering very prominently in her thoughts. Hope wasn’t a stranger to attraction. She’d felt so instantly pulled and attracted to Harrison Wells when she’d first become human that it nearly incapacitated her. But over time she’d learned to accept that those needs would never be met. And her ‘romantic’ love for him had faded into something far more casual. Yes, she still loved him. Deeply, even. But not in a way that demanded him to love her in return. 

This, though… this infatuation with Caitlin, which was all she’d thought it had ever been, was turning out to be far harder to overcome. In fact, she was so drawn to the Doctor that she often made excuses to be near her, to see her smile, to be in her presence. 

When Caitlin kissed her, an admittedly surprising and wonderful experience, Hope realized instantly that she didn’t want to fight it. And maybe she didn’t have to. Especially if Caitlin felt the same. A thought that made her smile momentarily as she stood in front of that open window. A smile that faded when she realized she should be concentrating on the problem at hand. She let out an angry sound, turning away and running her hands through her hair. How did humans do this? How did they concentrate on their lives and their work when they had emotions like this settled into their beings?

She opened her eyes and dropped her hands, staring through the open door to the hallway, where a rather prominent dent rested in the wall. She moved to it quietly, stopping before it and touching it gently. She’d already examined it earlier, knew it was from Cisco’s concussive blasts. Whatever, _whoever_ he was aiming for, he had missed completely. Not typical of Cisco at all. He was usually very accurate. 

“What happened to you?” she whispered, turning to look back into the room. Then she took in a deep, heavy breath, letting it out slowly. “Enough of this.” She moved back into the room, sitting squarely in the middle of the floor, crossing her legs beneath her and resting her palms flat on her bent knees. “Concentrate.” She demanded of herself. Then she closed her eyes once more, and simply breathed. 

Her senses spread out of her, along with delicate waves of energy that pooled and pulled and pushed like an ocean current. It filled the room, floor to ceiling. It wasn’t heavy, it wasn’t hard. It was cooling, calming, delicate. It swirled around her, flowed from her, touched every corner, every bit of rug, every drop of dried paint on the walls. It even rippled with the wind that flowed in through the window. A window she was focusing on, even with closed eyes. A window that, in her mind, brought forth the visage of a tall figure. Dark. Familiar. Standing tall and looming behind a girl that she knew wasn’t Maggie but looked so awfully like her. “Who are you?” She whispered. 

The figure… no, the man – definitely a man… he was hiding his energy. Keeping himself shrouded. Keeping himself hidden. It made her almost certain that Harry and Cisco hadn’t seen him. The naked eye wouldn’t have picked up his image at all. 

She pushed her senses harder, feeling her head hurt slightly. But she didn’t dare stop, not now that she was homed in on him. That and there was something incredibly familiar about the shape of him, the darkness that emanated from him into the Queen. A veritable puppet master, tugging at her strings. She wondered if the Queen even realized it.

Her temples began to throb, stabbing pains in circuits tumbling through her brain. She began to take short breaths, in and out and over again, refusing to lose control of this, the images frozen in her mind, like time had stopped that moment entirely just for her to see. See… she needed to _see_ , dammit. “Show me your face.” She gritted out, her fingers gripping her knees hard as she willed the dark image to clear, to focus. And then the energy snapped, she fell backward, her whole torso flat on the carpeted floor, eyes blinking up groggily at the ceiling as her hands held her aching head. 

But she smiled. Smiled bright and laughed. Because she saw him, dammit. She saw him clearly.

“I knew it was you.” She said to no one, letting her hands fall to her side as she laid there and waited for the throbbing in her head to ease. “Coster.” Her smile faded quickly. She was glad she was right, because it meant they had a target. A way through this. A real answer for once. But it also meant that he was still after Harry and Cisco. And that… well, that was bad for everyone. Maggie most of all, at the moment. 

If Maggie was in the clutches of that monster, not just the Hive, Hope had a very real feeling the poor girl might not survive any of this. 

And that one thought alone was more horrific than anything Hope could dare to imagine…

**Author's Note:**

> (To Be Continued...)


End file.
